Sunrise To Hold Tax Rate

But City Has Big Spending Plans

September 14, 2003|By Christy McKerney Staff writer

SUNRISE — While other cities are cutting back in tough financial times, Sunrise plans to spend $144.5 million this year on capital projects, continuing its growth spurt of new parks, expanded water and sewer utility service to Sunrise and surrounding cities and landscaped roadways.

Most of the revenue detailed in the $159 million 5-year plan Finance Director Ruth Castellon has submitted to city commissioners would be raised in the next fiscal year.

That plan and a proposed total budget of $301.4 million will go before the city commission on Sept. 24.

The proposed tax rate is $6.24 per $1,000 taxable property value, down one penny from this year's tax rate.

"We all knew that it was a tight budget year," said Mayor Steve Feren. "And we all have made ... in terms of the money issue itself, we've made it a priority to try to lower the millage rate every year."

The commission would have had to roll back the property tax rate to $5.71 per $1,000 to keep taxes the same because the total taxable value of all property in the city, including new construction, is expected to increase to $4.3 billion.

Hitting that rollback rate, however, would make it impossible to still provide the same services because of the increase in cost of services, Feren said.

Commissioners will also vote on whether to raise annual fire rescue assessment fees from $66.50 per year to $89.50.

If approved, the increase would appear on property tax bills beginning in November 2003. That money would go into the general fund to be used for fire facilities and equipment.

The city has set aside $6 million for a new City Hall that would help anchor Metropica, a planned $250 million downtown mixed-use project the city unveiled last year.

Metropica -- still in the planning phase -- would bring half a million square feet of luxury offices, five new upscale restaurants, luxury apartments, a nightclub and government center to 65 acres northeast of West Sunrise Boulevard and Panther Parkway near the Oasis entertainment complex at Sawgrass outlet mall.

The city also plans to spend $96 million to upgrade its water and sewer utility business with new wells, rehabilitated and expanded treatment plants and new lines.

While city staff has been warning of a tight budget year, Commissioner Don Rosen pointed to burgeoning wastewater, water and gas funds.

"We're not in as bad a shape as everybody thinks we are," Rosen said.

Christy McKerney can be reached at cmckerney@sun-sentinel.com or 954-572-2008.